Hominins Hunted Beavers At Least 400,000 Years Ago, Ancient Bones Reveal

Science News ^ | November 29, 2023 | Enrico de Lazaro

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the Leibniz Zentrum für Archäologie and Leiden University say they have found cut marks on the bones of two beaver species from the 400,000-year-old hominin open air site of Bilzingsleben in central Germany. Their results demonstrate a greater diversity of prey choice by Middle Pleistocene hominins than commonly acknowledged, and a much deeper history of broad-spectrum subsistence than commonly assumed, already visible in prey choices 400,000 years ago...

They used magnifying glasses and digital microscopes to analyze 2,496 remains (1,963 teeth and 533 cranial and postcranial bones and bone fragments) of two beaver species: the living Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and the extinct giant beaver Trogontherium cuvieri.

This enabled them to identify cut marks from stone tools that indicate intensive use of the carcasses.

Based on the cut mark distribution pattern, beaver may have been targeted for their skins, as well as for their meat.

It is interesting that the beaver remains from Bilzingsleben mainly represent young adults.

[SunkenCiv]

Castor sp. from the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America by John Woodhouse AudubonCastor sp. from the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America by John Woodhouse Audubon

[SunkenCiv]

Something new to chew on. /rimshot

[MikelTackNailer]

Allow me to be the first to reference “Hustler” magazine to get that out of the way. Sorry...no pics for that one.

[ansel12]

DUH.

I win the contest for the shortest wisecrack.

[ganeemead]

There are two pieces of good news regarding the Neanderthal and other hominids: One they are extinct and two, we are not related to them other than via similar design.

[moovova]

"Hominins Hunted Beavers At Least 400,000 Years Ago..."

Thank goodness. We wouldn't be here if they hadn't.

[gundog]

Much earlier than that, I’ll wager. Why wouldn’t they? Beaver are dumb as hell.

[ansel12]

But they are cagey, never underestimate them.

[SunkenCiv]

• 300,000-year-old double-pointed stick among oldest record of human-made wooden tools [07/23/2023]
• News from Hawaii! ;^) Early humans in the Hula Valley invested in systematic procurement of raw materials hundreds of thousands of years ago -- much earlier than previously assumed [07/23/2023]
• 300,000-year-old snapshot: Oldest human footprints from Germany found [05/15/2023]
• Huge Find of 400,000-Year-Old Bone Tools Challenges Our Understanding of Early Humans [09/01/2021]
• 300,000-year-old throwing stick documents the evolution of hunting [04/26/2020]
• Prehistoric humans ate bone marrow like canned soup 400,000 years ago... [10/18/2019]
• 400,000-year-old dental tartar provides earliest evidence of manmade pollution [06/17/2015]
• Prehistoric stone tools bear 500,000-year-old animal residue [03/21/2015]
• 300,000-year-old hearth found: Microscopic evidence shows repeated fire use in one spot over time [01/28/2014]
• Skilled hunters 300,000 years ago [09/18/2012]
• 400,000 year old spears found in an German coal mine! [10/11/2010]

[SunkenCiv]

Garbage. Give it up Ted.

[Clutch Martin]

If it is not Uranus articles it’s Beaver articles...

Entertainment in its lowest form, is still entertainment.

[SunkenCiv]

You said wisecrack, huh huh huh huh huh...

[Clutch Martin]

“But they are cagey, never underestimate them.”

I think it was Foxworthy who had a joke about driving down a dirt road and two grits were in the ditch and one held up a beaver and said looky here and the Beaver bit his nipple off...

Ouch!

[SunkenCiv]

https://search.brave.com/search?q=jerry+mathers

[BlueLancer]

And where do you think you're going, Señor Beaver ...?

[SunkenCiv]

That’s right, it still counts. :^) As long as the adults don’t storm in here and lock it or delete it, it could go on for a while.

It’s not generally known, but beaver invented mud wrestling, and a number of other dam things.

[SunkenCiv]

Related video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMqgB6tbKC4

[ansel12]

“”””You said wisecrack, huh huh huh huh huh...””””

With my sense of humor, I’m always looking for an opening.

[SunkenCiv]

lol

I gash you’ve succeeded!

[moovova]

"HOW TO: EAT A BEAVER"

"...I would have never thought that beaver meat would be as good as it is."